Tracy, who represents the county in the state Senate, posted pictures of the West Tennessee Republican’s appearance on his campaign Facebook page. Stephanie Jarnagan, Tracy’s campaign manager, said Fincher came to discuss the farm bill and has made similar appearances across the state.

Tracy’s primary opponent, U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, is a member of the House Agriculture Committee. DesJarlais, R-South Pittsburg, also has been discussing the farm bill, an important piece of legislation in the 4th Congressional District.

Jarnagan referred questions about whether Fincher’s appearance meant he would support Tracy in August to the congressman’s office in Washington. A spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2014/stephen-fincher-appears-as-special-guest-of-jim-tracy-in-murfreesboro/feed/0Jim Tracy adds Harwell, Casada to leadership teamhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2014/jim-tracy-adds-harwell-casada-to-leadership-team/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2014/jim-tracy-adds-harwell-casada-to-leadership-team/#commentsTue, 07 Jan 2014 17:57:07 +0000Chas Siskhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=20773House Speaker Beth Harwell, Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada and the rest of the GOP leadership in the state House of Representatives is backing Jim Tracy’s bid for Congress, the state senator’s campaign said Tuesday in a message to supporters.

Harwell, Casada, House Republican Leader Gerald McCormick and Speaker Pro Tempore Curtis Johnson join a long list of top Republicans that have thrown their support behind Tracy, R-Shelbyville. He faces U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-South Pittsburg.

Their endorsements have come unusually early — months before the August primary — but Republican leaders largely have shunned DesJarlais following the 2012 release of records from his divorce a decade prior. Those records showed that the anti-abortion DesJarlais had dated two patients while still married to his first wife, prescribed pain medication to one of those women, urged the other to have an abortion when she told him he was pregnant and supported his ex-wife’s decision to abort two pregnancies before their split.

The group said Tuesday that it is backing the Shelbyville Republican’s primary campaign to unseat U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-South Pittsburg. The organization also said it would donate $5,000 to Tracy’s campaign.

“CUPVF has supported Congressman DesJarlais in the past, but can no longer do so because he does not share our conservative values,” said David N. Bossie, president of Citizens United. “Tennessee’s fourth congressional district deserves a strong conservative voice in Washington and Jim Tracy is that candidate.”

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/citizens-united-pac-endorses-jim-tracy/feed/0Murfreesboro technology instructor tells radio station he’ll run for Congresshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/murfreesboro-technology-instructor-tells-radio-station-hell-run-for-congress/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/murfreesboro-technology-instructor-tells-radio-station-hell-run-for-congress/#commentsWed, 16 Oct 2013 18:32:40 +0000Chas Siskhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=20429Murfreesboro radio station WGNS reports Steve Lane, an instructor at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Nashville, also will run for the Republican nomination in the 4th Congressional district.

The radio station offers little information on Lane. It describes him as a Murfreesboro resident who he has been involved in politics for about a decade, including through the Rutherford County Campaign for Liberty, a tea party group.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/murfreesboro-technology-instructor-tells-radio-station-hell-run-for-congress/feed/0Bell Buckle teacher says he plans to run for Congresshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/bell-buckle-teacher-says-he-plans-to-run-for-congress/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/bell-buckle-teacher-says-he-plans-to-run-for-congress/#commentsTue, 08 Oct 2013 22:28:59 +0000Chas Siskhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=20363John Anderson — a schoolteacher from Bell Buckle, not the country music star, not the host of “Wipeout,” not the 1980 independent presidential candidate — says he’s planning to get in to the race for the 4th Congressional District.

Anderson tells the Shelbyville Times-Gazette that he will run as a Republican against U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais and state Sen. Jim Tracy. He says he hopes to go to Washington for one term to “start this revolution.”

The Times-Gazette says Anderson has posted a video of his platform on YouTube, but we’re unable to find it. (See the list above.) Instead, here’s “Straight Tequila Night,” a classic.

Saltsman, who also managed U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann’s campaigns in 2010 and 2012, will “manage all facets” of the Lascassas Republican’s 4th Congressional District campaign, a spokesman said. Carr so far faces incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-South Pittsburg, and state Sen. Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville.

“Chip brings significant firepower and experience to our campaign,” Carr said in a statement announcing Saltsman’s appointment. “His excellent track record of managing both statewide and national campaigns is invaluable.”

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/chip-saltsman-joins-joe-carr-campaign/feed/0Joe Carr announces endorsement from Gerald McCormick, Glen Casadahttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/joe-carr-announces-endorsement-from-gerald-mccormick-glen-casada/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/joe-carr-announces-endorsement-from-gerald-mccormick-glen-casada/#commentsFri, 17 May 2013 20:52:42 +0000Chas Siskhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=19451State Rep. Joe Carr has secured backing from two top Republicans in the state legislature for his run for Congress.

House Republican Leader Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, and House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada, R-Franklin, confirmed Friday that they have endorsed Carr for the 4th Congressional District.

Perhaps best known for his strident views on Islam and national security issues, Womick is the fourth state lawmaker from all-important Rutherford County to endorse Tracy. He joins state Sen. Bill Ketron, state Rep. Mike Sparks and state Rep. Dawn White.

The county’s remaining lawmaker, state Rep. Joe Carr, R-Lascassas, also is running for the 4th Congressional District, as is the incumbent, U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-South Pittsburg.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/rick-womick-endorses-jim-tracy-for-congress/feed/0DesJarlais taps Congress for fundraiser and a host balkshttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/desjarlais-taps-congress-for-fundraiser-and-a-host-balks/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/desjarlais-taps-congress-for-fundraiser-and-a-host-balks/#commentsFri, 15 Mar 2013 16:49:55 +0000Chas Siskhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=19126U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais is turning to his colleagues in Congress for help in raising money for his reelection campaign, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

The South Pittsburg Republican will hold a fundraiser March 19 in Washington, D.C. Tickets to the event are $500 for individuals and $1,000 for political action committees.

One of the event’s hosts, U.S. Rep. John Kline of Minnesota, has come under fire from Democrats in his home state for taking part in the event. Kline’s office told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he was not scheduled to attend the fundraiser and has no plans to do so.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/desjarlais-taps-congress-for-fundraiser-and-a-host-balks/feed/0Tracy, Carr, DesJarlais jockey for positionhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/tracy-carr-desjarlais-jockey-for-position/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2013/tracy-carr-desjarlais-jockey-for-position/#commentsFri, 08 Mar 2013 23:13:51 +0000Chas Siskhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=19111Sane people are not thinking of the August 2014 Republican primary. But sane people don’t run for Congress.

Three people who are running for Congress next year have spent much of the past few days trying to build the base of support they’ll need 17 months from now.

“I support my friend Jim Tracy for Congress wholeheartedly and without reservation,” Ramsey said in the statement.

Tracy, however, appears to be at least two events down to Carr, who has already held a fundraiser Thursday at the home of a Murfreesboro doctor and one in late February at the Old Natchez Country Club in Williamson County.

The February event took place on the same day Carr missed several votes on the floor of the House of Representatives, including the final vote on guns-in-trunks legislation. Like that of a true congressional candidate, Carr’s campaign immediately went into damage-control mode when asked about the connection.

“It is what it is,” Thomsen Smith, Carr’s fundraiser said while studiously trying to avoid confirming the reason for his boss’s absence. “Somebody’s trying to connect the dots. It’s a common story for people in Congress, and I don’t begrudge it here.”

Finally, there is the incumbent, U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais. The word out of Washington has been that his funding sources are drying up in the wake of last fall’s abortion revelations.

So DesJarlais appears to taking his case directly to the voters. The congressman announced that he would deliver the keynote speech at a rally on Sunday against the Affordable Care Act, making one of his first appearances in Nashville since the November election. Interestingly, the release referred to the rally as a Libertarian Party event, perhaps a hint as to how he might get himself onto the ballot again if he were to lose the primary.

That may be speculation. But with the candidates scheming as hard as they are now, there’s no telling what strange twists this race might take.